


Defining Forever

by blueboxesandtrafficcones



Series: Fic Prompts - Doctor Who [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Pete's World, Relationship Discussions, rare use of profanity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 15:53:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15799746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueboxesandtrafficcones/pseuds/blueboxesandtrafficcones
Summary: It only been a few weeks since TenToo arrived, and among the multitude of conversations they haven't had yet, labeling their relationship is top of the list.  A night out with Rose's friends forces them to confront it.





	Defining Forever

**Author's Note:**

> This was prompted by a nonny over on Tumblr, for the sentence "I can’t sleep without you here…"

After an hour of tossing and turning Rose gave up on sleep, instead sprawling on her back as she stared up at the ceiling.

In hindsight, the pub night had probably been a poor idea; they weren’t ready.  The Doctor had only been part-human for several weeks, each day filled with awkward silences and longing looks.  They hadn’t talked properly yet; the words  _I love you_  were floated freely, and there was plenty of delightful, heated snogging, but there had not been a conversation about their future, about what they were to each other.

When Jackie had suggested going out with some of Rose’s friends, having a pint and spending time away from the house, she hadn’t been able to come up with a valid reason to not. Her mates were naturally insanely curious about this mysterious man suddenly turning up in Rose’s life, but if she had to pinpoint one exact moment everything fell apart, it would be when Moira asked  _So, is he like your boyfriend?_ and Rose hesitated a beat too long.

The Doctor, a reassuring presence at her back, had stiffened in hurt and confusion.  It only took seconds for her to mumble out something along the lines of  _yeah, of course,_  but the damage had been done.

The night only went downhill from there – as soon as he’d excused himself to the bar her friends swarmed, pelting her with questions she didn’t have the answers to for herself, let alone them.  Her sour mood did nothing to reassure him, and they spent a long hour suffering in silence, side by side, before he whispered in her ear that he was going back to the mansion.

Grabbing her purse and not bothering to say goodbye to her friends she hurried after him, only to find him standing lost on the sidewalk.

“I don’t know the address,” he’d admitted softly, so she’d hailed the next cab, never letting go of his hand.  Once home they’d walked up the stairs together, but instead of following her into what had quickly become their bedroom he continued on without a word, entering the guest room they’d futilely set up for him.

Rose had entered alone and promptly fallen to the bed crying her eyes out, before changing into his t-shirt and curling up with his pillow, still sniffling.

Now, restless and all cried out, she sat up to stare around the room.  She’d lived in this space for almost five years, and yet it was only the last three weeks it had actually felt like home, and that had far more to do with the man sharing her space than the personalized touches Jackie had put up.

Deep down, Rose knew that her unwillingness to have that conversation, to put a label on their relationship and expectations on their future was not because she doubted them, but because she wanted it too badly.  They’d been on top of the world, literally and metaphorically, stupid-happy and in love when it crashed around their ears the last time.

She was terrified it would again.  But, lying alone in their bed, she realized she could never forgive herself if it fell apart because they gave up.  Because they didn’t  _fight_  hard enough.  They were six inches from the finish line.

Well, fuck that.  Rose clambered out of bed, not bothering to grab her dressing down as she hurried to the door, flinging it open wide -

To reveal the Doctor standing before her, one hand poised as if to knock.

“Hi.”  He blinked, gaze darting between his raised hand and her face, brow furrowing in confusion.

“I love you.”  Rose stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest.  “So much.”  She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back tears she hadn’t known she was capable of at this point.

“I love you too,” the Doctor murmured, arms slowly coming around her, holding her gingerly to him. “I don’t want to screw this up.”

“Me neither.”

They stood in the doorway holding each other until he finally asked, “Were you headed somewhere?”

Rose stepped back, giving him a considering look before shaking her head.  “Hang on.”  Darting back inside, she grabbed her dressing gown and tugged it on as she brushed past him. “Cuppa?”  She led him to the kitchen, and in a once-practiced move they flowed around each other, prepping mugs and biscuits.  The routine was calming, and when they were ready she led him to the den.

She gestured for him to sit, before immediately snuggling into his side with a happy sigh.  “I was coming to find you,” she finally answered his question.  “I couldn’t sleep without you.”

“Neither could I,” he admitted, holding her tightly against him.  “I just…”

“Can I explain?” Rose asked when he didn’t continue.  “Why I hesitated?”

“Sure.”  Nestled as she was against him she couldn’t see his expression, but didn’t need to to know it was defeated.

“You are…  _so_ much more to me than a boyfriend.  ‘Boyfriend’, in my mind, is more like my relationships with Jimmy and Mickey.  Juvenile, and fleeting.  We are so far above that, because of what we’ve been through alone, that to have  _us_  boiled down to such a… a trite relationship status was jarring.  Plus, we haven’t discussed that – labels.  And I’d hate to overstep, but I’m also sorry if my hesitation made you doubt us.  Cause I don’t have any.  Doubts, I mean, about you and me.”

“I do,” the Doctor answered honestly.  “This isn’t what you wanted – it’s not what you spent all those years working for. Staying here, living a normal life. Me, a human, with rubbish human physicalities.”

“Yeah, but don’t you see?” Rose pulled away to come up on her knees and face him, eye to eye.  Tucking her hair behind her ears, she grinned brightly.  “I  _quite literally_  get the best of both worlds.  Would I have given Mum and Pete and Tony up for you?  Yes, in a heartbeat, obviously.  But the fact that I don’t have to, that I get all of you… I am in absolute  _awe_  that this is my life.  And it doesn’t matter what that looks like, as long as the four of you are front and center.”

“Do you really believe that?” he asked shyly, earnest eyes searching hers.

“Yes.”

The Doctor nodded, looking away for a long moment before turning back to her.  “How long are you going to stay with me?”

This time, there was no hesitation, no doubt in her answer.

“Forever.”


End file.
